Psalm 23:4c

When spying out the gear of a shepherd one would find a couple things that are essential to the task.  The rod and staff are often the stereotyped “tools of the trade” in the area of shepherding.  The Hebrew word for rod has many different facets.

For a king the rod is a scepter of authority

For a tree the rod is an offshoot of Life

For the tradesman the rod is a standard of measurement

All of these are perfectly fitting of Our Lord because all of these give so much insight to the character traits of our Lord, King, Creator, and Tree of Life. 

In this particular passage however, the word rod describes a club-like instrument often used by the shepherd to defend his flock.  When any danger threatened the beloved life of his flock the shepherd is diligent to defend, with rod in hand he will crush the bones of the enemy that preys on his possession.  We are the possession of the Good Shepherd, as His beloved flock the Lord is so diligent to defend us from the enemies that seek to prey on the peace, joy, love, and intimacy of our relationship with the Lord himself and those around us.  With the rod of His truth the Lord comes down and crushes the lies that this world, Satan and his demons, and the flesh try to deceive us with. 

 Some might ask “Well if that’s true; why is it that my circumstances have chewed me up and spit me out?”

The one problem that often leaves us wide open to attack is the sheep-like tendency we all have to stray from the truth of God’s word.  Like it says in Isaiah 53 “we all like sheep have gone astray” and so it is for us in life, we get distracted by that relationship that wasn’t so fruitful, we get derailed by that desire that was sinful, and we like sheep find ourselves straying off the path of righteousness right into dangerous territory. 

“What now?” You might ask

“I’ve walked off the path so many times and I’ve wandered so far that there’s no hope for me!”

Not True!

You see, the shepherd also carries a staff for situations such as these.  When sheep would get lost, straying a bit too far after this or that, the shepherd’s priority is to search out and rescue that which is lost.  He tracks the lost sheep down and skillfully cradles them with the staff, and lifts them from their trouble, carrying them back to safety. 

Perhaps that’s where you are today.

You’ve strayed off the path, lost your direction, and don’t think that returning is an option.

If so, then know this…the staff of His Holy Spirit will support you in your weakness and direct you safely back into His loving arms.

The rod of defense and the staff of direction are present in the hands of the Good Shepherd, and because His heart is one that loves us so radically and so deeply we have nothing to fear.  This truth was David’s comfort in his moments of delight and despair and so it will be for you as well. 

All you have to do is call out to the Shepherd.

Don’t worry.

He’s very familiar with your voice. (John 10)

Psalm 23:2

In a day of artificial flavors and developed desire for flash sometimes we forget that common problems more often than not have common solutions.  As much as Sports drinks are hyped up to pleasurably quench our thirst and benefit our bodies, scientists all across the board agree that they will never compare to the good old remedy for thirst…water. 

“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.  And out of his innermost being shall gush forth torrents of living water”

John 7:37, 38

Jesus proclaimed this in the midst of the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three great Jewish festivals.  It’s name actually explains quite a bit about the event, for seven days the Jewish people will live in makeshift shelters made of branches and leaves commemorating the days when their ancestors lived in tents wandering through the wilderness (Lev.23:40-43).  The festival takes place in September/October, about six months after the events of feeding the five thousand and many disciples turning away.

On each day of the feast, the people would come with palm branches and march around the altar.  A priest then took a pitcher filled with water from the Pool of Siloam, carried the water all the way to the temple courts, and poured it out over the altar as an offering to the Lord.  This ceremony represented the time that the Lord brought forth water from the rock during the wilderness wanderings.  On the last day of the festival, the people marched seven times around the altar illustrating the seven laps around the walls of Jericho. 

I can just imagine as they round the altar, palm branches waving and all types of hooting and hollering happening, a man is seen standing up and crying out above the roar of the event.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  He yells.

This began a debate that is still in action today, much like the “Sports drink versus Water” debate, many people were trying to decide whether Jesus was truly the solution, and the question remains to this day.  For those who have done the research however, the question is a common one which has a very simple answer, just as all scientists agree that water is hands down best for thirst, all creation testifies that Jesus is completely the way, the truth, the life, the quencher of thirst, and the sustainer of living water. 

As I watched the field of sheep outside my friend’s window the other day I noticed another thing about the sheep when it came to drinking water.  The shepherd approached and called, gradually all the sheep drew near, then slowly the shepherd made his way to where the sheep would drink.  I witnessed as one sheep decided to trust the shepherd’s voice, then those near him followed towards the shepherd, and gradually those near them the same, leading to good water and wonderful results.

It’s an interesting and sometimes bizarre tendency that we as humans have in common with sheep.  We too naturally follow each other, this sometimes is a dangerous thing being that sheep have been known to follow each other off of cliffs when spooked, and we as the human race have often followed each other away from the good Shepherd and strayed.  On the other hand, there is the occasion when the nature to follow is positive, when the one who has heard the voice of the shepherd moves after the Shepherd knowing that He has always lead them well, and those that follow move closer to experiencing and understanding this lovely truth. 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He leads us beside still waters refreshing our spirits and bringing satisfaction to our lives like no other.  Choose to follow Him and you might find that your commitment has lead to the salvation of many others behind you.

God bless you

-Dan

“The Lord is my shepherd…”

Psalm 23:1

Just above the first words of this psalm is the introduction, “A Psalm of David”.  As I was soaking up this psalm I found that I never really gave a whole lot of thought to the fact that I’m reading the passion and ponderings of a shepherd.  When considering all the great biblical characters most of us have a picture painted in our minds of what that character looked like.  John the Baptist is often sporting some type of gnarly animal fur and throwing back some type of bug as a snack, Jesus has these wonderful blue eyes, lush long hair, and a nicely trimmed beard, David is often wearing a crown on his head remembered as King or a sling in his hand remembered as a giant slayer, but more often than not people don’t think of him as the shepherd.  That’s because being a shepherd has never really been a job of glory and fame but a job of grace and shame.

A Shepherd in ancient times wasn’t the most socially acceptable position.  Most of them were considered the low lives of society due to their image.  As a shepherd, stepping in pasture patties wasn’t something uncommon, having some poop stains on your robe was normal, and smelling like sheep was just another thing that came with the job.  They tend animals that don’t have the sense to tend themselves.  Often lost, hurt, or hunted, sheep had need of a capable, gracious, and faithful caretaker, and the same goes for you and me. 

In the Bible God is often referred to as The Shepherd, and we are the sheep.  He is the leader and the caretaker and we are those that need leading and taking care of. 

Why?

Because we too get lost in sin, get hurt by this world, and are hunted by the enemy.  So the Lord, our Shepherd, came to be with, provide for, and take care over us, His sheep.

Why would one be a shepherd though? 

Why take a job that stinks and is looked down on by others?

The answer is not “Someone’s got to do it” but “Someone gets to do it”

You see a shepherd doesn’t sign up for the status boost or the working conditions, He signs up because he has a relationship to the sheep, he loves them and wants see them live abundantly well.  His reward is them, in their life, their growth, their abiding.  Just as a Shepherd’s joy is in his sheep, so too the Lord’s joy and reward is in us.  God cares for you and me, He desires to see us not only live life but to live it abundantly well, without being stolen from, without being beat up, without being annihilated. 

“Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.  He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.”

Isaiah 40:10-11

So how do we get to that place with the Shepherd? 

How do we receive abundant life? 

We abide with the Shepherd, we draw near and intimately remain with the Lord…we stay in the pasture of His will, we drink from the water of His word, we eat up the feast of HIs blessings, and we receive the outpouring of the oil of His Spirit. 

As we continue to look deeper into Psalm 23 may we continue to draw nearer to the Lord and enjoy as he draws nearer to us (James 4:8).